Switch mechanism



De. 8, 1931. I W, LINDSAY 1,835,116

SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Dec. 16, 1927 VWI'1.1111111111 LINDSAY, orcnIcAeo,v ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR 1 application.v

ture shown in Figure'l;

Patented Dec. 8, 1931V UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE,

FACTURIN'G- COMPANY,

'ro ECONOMY FUSE AND MANU- QFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CGRPORAT'ION OFNEWVYORK swrrcnv MECHANISM Application filed December 16, 1927. SerialNo.7240,414. c A

v The present invention relates to improvements in switch mechanism.

he present invention is illustrated and will be described in connectionVwith a type of switch which is vfrequently operated, such for example,as an electric light switch. The

invention is illustrated in connection with a switchof thepull chaintype, though it will be understood as the description proceeds Athat theinventionis of much broader An object of the provide a switch contactwhich may be made and assembled at small expense and which is welladapted to stand up-under frequent circuit making and circuit breakingoperations. t y

A further obj ect is to provide a switch contactof simple constructionproviding an elficient currentcarrying portion operative under normalcurrent carrying conditions and providing a portion operative undercircuit making and circuit breaking conditions to minimize sparking andpitting.

A further object is to provide an electric switch of improvedconstruction involving a resiliently urged movable contact member and arelatively stationary contact member cooperating therewith, whichrelatively stationary contact memberhas a resilient portion adapted tocooperate effectively under normal current carrying conditionswith saidresiliently urged contact member and which has a second resilientportionadapted to cooperate effectively withesaidresiliently urgedvmemberfrunder circuit rmaking. and `circuit breaking conditions.

A further object is to provide an electric switch well adapted toquantityproduction, which may be assembled at a minimum of expense.

Further,l obiects will appear as the d escription proceeds. l

Referring to the drawingsv Figure'l is a view in elevation of anelectric switch embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a Vtop plan view of the'struc- Figure`3 is a sectional viewtaken-along the larged scale, of a Q10 has a standard or post 11 securpresent invention is to plane. indicated by the arrows 3-3 of Fig-`ure2; Y

Figure l is a perspective view, on an enthestructure shown in Figures 1,2 and 3 ,'v and Figuren is ablank fromwhich the con,- tact'member `shownin Figure a may be swedged g V' i The numeral 10 indicates a disk whichshouldbe of insulating material. Said diskl x v d thereto,

which post 11 provides 'a slidable support for a relatively movablecontact vmember `12. Said contact member 12 is sclectably urged towardeither of the two Vends of the post 11 by means of the spring 13, ,whichspring 13 has an extremity 14 extending through an aperture 15 insaidmember 12. The post 11 is provided with the slot 16, having closed ends,which closed ends limit movement of the extremity 14: of the spring 13,and therefore limit longitudinal movement of the' contact member 12.Said spring18 is mounted upon the arm 17, which arm is controlled byratchetv mechanism,indicated as the numeral 18. The ratchet mechanismand Vthe means associated therewith for biasing the contact member 12sclectably to its two extreme positions do not constitute thesubject'matter of the present invention and need not be .described indetail herein, inasmuch as any preferred means known to those skilled inthe art may be utilized to operate the member 12 into and out of theposition shown in Figure 1. At present it is preferred 1to use thestructure disclosed No. 1,706,793, granted March 26, 1929.

The relatively movable contact member 12 is provided with the pair ofsidewalls 19y having the flanges 20-20. Said relatively movable contactmember 12 is adapted to have bridging relationship with a pair ofrelatively stationary contacts 21-21, which relatively stationarycontacts 21-21 are preferably identical with each other. As shown inFigure 4, each contact 21 may consist of sheet from which the contact 21may be swedged,

said blank having cut out portions on two opcontact memberlinvolved in awhole byv 'Se the right ot the vertical center posite sides as indicatedby the numerals 24k-2d. Longitudinal slits 25 communicate with said cutout portions 2Lt-24t and extend in the direction of the aperture Saidslits 5 25 provide the neck 26, the iingers 26A and the head portion 27.As indicated in Figures 3 and 4, the neck 2G is bent downwardly trom thebase portion 22 and is bent upwardly intermediate of its length, asindicated by the numeral 28. rlhe neck 26, therefore, provides anabutment for a purpose which will be referred to hereinafter. The head27 is bent along a transverse axis to provide a contact engaging portion29. The extremity ont the head 27 is flared rearwardly trom the portion29, as indicated by the numeral 30. The fingers 2GA-26A are swedgredupwardly intermediate of their length transversely ot the member 21 toprovide contact making por- 2o tions 2tB-2GB adapted to cooperate withthe lower flanges -20 oi kthe movable contact member 12. The downwardlyextending portion of the neck 2G ot each contact member 12 is disposedwithin a correspond- 25 ing aperture 81 in the disk 10. Said members21-21 are anchored in pofition, preferably by means oi. the center andside contacts oi' the electric switch in the event that the switch isused in an electric socket or the like. To line in Figure 3. the contactmember 21 is anchored in position by the center contact 32, which, itwill be noted, has an extremity 33 extending; through the aperture 34 inthe disk 10 and through the aperture 23 in the corresponding member 21,and swedged over upon the upper side ot the corresponding contact member21,. The letthand contact member 21, as the parts are viewed in Figures2 and 3, is anchored in place by means of the side terminal 35, whichhas an extremity 3G extending through the aperture 23 in thecorresponding contact member 21 and through the aperture 37 in the disk10, said extremity 36 being riveted over on the under side of said disk10. lt preferred., the contact 21 may be further anchored by means otprick punches indicated by numerals 38-38, which prick punches arelocated at the side edges ot said member 21.

By reason of the upwardly swedged portions 2GB ot the contacts 21--21,said contacts 21--21 will not lie tlat upon the disk 10 when anchored inposition but will have an upward spring intermediate ot the length otthe ingers 2G 11i-36A. rea-son of this vtact, the resiliently urgedcontact member 12 will have a slight rnbcing action upon the upwardlyswedged portions 2GB-26B of the fingers 2SA-26A when said Contact member12 is moved into and out ot circuit making relationship with thecontacts 21-21. By reason. oit this tact the contact member 12 will havea cleaning;` action and goed contact will be had between the contactmember 12 and the contacts 21-21 during the normal operation ot theswitch of which said members form a part. When the contact member 12 isin circuit ma Ying position it is disposed between the portions 29-29 etthe head portions 27-27 of the contacts 21-21. Said head portions 27-27by reason ot the resiliency of the metal of the members 21--21, areyieldingly held against the walls 19-19 ot the contact member 12. Whensaid contact member 12 is being,r moved out ot circuit makingrelationship with the contacts 21-21, and when said contact member 12 isbeing' moved toward contact makingr relationship with the contacts21-21, the final breaking' and the initial making ot circuit makingrelationship will be with a snap action whereby sparking and pittingwill be reduced to al minimum.

it will be clear that the outwardly extend- I'.

ina' portion ot the neck 26 ot each contact 21 provides a ready meanstor locating the contacts 21-21 relative to the apertures 37 in the disk10. It will also be clear that the contact members shown and erateeifectively with the usual center and side contacts ot an electric lampsocket or the like whereby the matter ot assembly is simpliied.

Though a preferred embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed in detail. many modifications will occur to those skilled inthe art. It is intended to cover all such modications as ot the appendedclaims.

1. In a. switch, in combination, a supporting' member, a pair ofrelatively stationary contacts carried by sai-d supporting member,

a movable contact adapted to have bridging,try

relationship with said relatively stationary conta cts` each of saidstationary contacts comprisincr a base portion having: an upwardlybiased part intermediate of its length, a neck portion having'intertittincr said supporting, member and a head portion carried by saidneck portion disposed above said base portion intermediate of the lengthof said base portion, the head portions ot said relatively station arycontacts bein ej positioned to embrace said relatively movable contact.

2. In a switch, in combination. a supporting` member, a pair orelatively stationary contacts carried thereby, a relatively movablecontact adapted to have bridging relationship with said relativelystationary contacts, each ot said relatively stationary contacts havinga base portion disposed upon said supporting member and biased away fromsaid supporting member intermediate of its length, a neck portiondisposed in angular relationship with said base portion, and a headportion carried by said neck portion,

described coop- '-w fall within the scope relationship with saidrelatively movable eontact having walls of their length, Vsaid headbeing bent in a adapted to engage said head portions and andirectiontransversely of said fingers. other wall portion adapted to engage saidSigned at Chicago, Illinois, this`13th day base portion. of December,1927. 5 3. In a switch, in combination, a support- 7 ing member, a pairof relatively stationary f WILLIAM LINDSAY.

contacts carried thereby, arelatively movable contact adapted to havebridging relationship with sai-d relatively stationary contacts, Y eachof said relatively stationary contacts Y f 75 l comprising a baseportion sprung up from said supporting rmember intermediate the lengthof said base portion and a head portion, said relatively movable contacthaving side walls disposed, when said relatively mov- 90 able contact isin bridging relationship with said relatively lstationary Contacts,between said head portions and having another wall portion adapted toengage said upwardly sprung base portion. 85

4. In a switch, in combination, a relatively v stationary contact, arelatively movable contact, a supporting member for said relativelystationary Contact, said relatively stationary Y 25 Contact having abase portion upwardly y Y 9G swedged intermediate of its length and ahead portion extending upwardly from said Y base portion, saidrelatively'movable ContactA having a pair of walls in angularrelationship l with one another, one of said walls being y f 95 adaptedto be positioned against said base portion. the other of said wallsbeing adapt- Y ed to have wiping relationship with said head portion. Y

5. A contact member comprising a base 100 having a pair of substantiallyparallel ingers, a neck secured to said base and disposed between saidfingers. said neck being disposed in angular relationship to said baseand hav- 6. A contact member comprising a basehaving a pair oflsubstantially parallel fingers, a neck secured to said baseand'disposed between said ngers, said neck being disposed in anp gularrelationship to said base and having a y no head at its extremity. saidhead being angu larly bent transversely of said fingers.

7 A Contact member comprising a base having a pair of substantiallyparallel {inbetween said ngers. said neck being disposed in angularrelationship to said base and having a head at its extremity. saidfingers being bent transversely thereof to give said fingers an upwardspring intermediate of their length.

8. A contact member comprising a base having a pair of substantiallyparallel ingers, a neck secured to said base and disposed 125 betweensaid fingers, said neck being dis'- Y posed in angular relationship tosaid vbase and having a head at its extremity, said lingers being benttransversely thereof to give Y said ingers an upward spring intermediateing a head at its extremity.

11s gers, a neck secured to said base and disposed Y a

